18 Chapter 18: hoard, Part 2

Alice had grown accustomed to the smell, her furry companions and clutter closing in around her.Once sickened by the smell of rotting bananas in the market, her nose no longer noticed the stench that wafted into the hallway through the small crack under her front door.A locked bolt and three chains kept her inside and she was just fine with that.

Alice had not had a shower in months, since the water and electricity had been shut off in her building and she hadn't applied an ounce of make-up since the night she ate her last tube of lipstick, pretending it was strawberry ice cream.

She walked to the kitchen table and picked up a brush and cracked hand-mirror.She positioned the mirror just right so a ray of light from outside reflected off the glass and highlighted her silhouette.She gently ran the brush through her hair and its teeth fought their way through knots and forced the clingy feathers out.Alice was unaware of the feathers and continued to brush her hair peacefully as another boom rocked the street below.

Once satisfied that her hair was free of knots and most importantly, any small crawly things that had hoped to find a new place to call home, she placed the brush and mirror back onto the table and looked around the kitchen.Each cabinet door hung open and most of the dishes were piled high on the counter and in the sink.Assuming the luxury of water may vanish, Alice had filled glasses, pitchers, saucers, bowls, pots, and flower vases with water.She filled the clawfoot tub with water as well.Each vessel was stored in the bathroom, surrounding the tub.Evaporation and thirst did away with most of her supply and Alice rationed the precious source of life as much as she could stand.Her stomach cried out for food and her throat ached for water.

Choosing water over substance, Alice grabbed a crystal vase from the kitchen table.She lifted it to her eyes and swirled the remnants of water around.As the rust-colored fluid swirled around the base, bits of black droppings spun around like ants circling a whirlpool.Convincing herself that the tiny rounded black bits were ants, she closed her eyes and took a large gulp, finishing all of the vase's contents.She swallowed hard and rubbed her throat as she placed the vase back onto the table.She still had enough water in the various containers in the bathroom for a few more weeks.Disappointed over her choice of water over substance, Alice's stomach moaned with delight with the surprise of the six little pellets that rushed down her throat with the water.

She looked around the darkened space and thought about her agenda for the day.The reading material had all been utilized and a mural she had started to paint months ago was in the hallway hidden behind mountains of trash.Alice sat down on one of the wooden kitchen table chairs and buried her head in her hands.She closed her eyes and dreamed about walking through the market like she had done on so many beautiful mornings before becoming a prisoner in her fourth-floor walk-up.

Alice remembered the feeling of the morning sun warming her cheeks as she strolled past vendors who proudly displayed their bouquets of colorful flowers.The oversized sunflowers always made her smile and there was nothing like walking home along a quiet side street on a crisp morning with a bag of freshly-baked bread and the yellow petals from the sunflowers peeking over the edge of the brown paper bag.

It seemed like another lifetime when she would freely stroll the market and sip coffee in the cozy corner café.Almost overnight, everything changed.Forced into the shadows like a disfigured hunchback in a bell tower, Alice retreated to her apartment, barricading herself from everything and everyone.

Left behind like a forgotten doll, Alice's family moved away and never visited.She understood the circumstances but hoped against hope that they would visit her or return to take her away with them.

After a quick daydream, Alice slid her hand against her stomach to rub away the hunger pains.She stood up and opened the small ice box.Since there was no electricity, nothing in the ice box was kept cold.Its sole purpose had become a haven for her last bits of food.She felt around in the dark and her hands moved over what she thought used to be a potato.She could feel its pruned skin, long knobs of growth protruding from it and furry patches of mold.Alice picked it up off the shelf and closed the ice box door.

She rubbed her fingers around the potato, picked off the buds of growth and took a bite.Her teeth sunk into parts of solid, starchiness with a bit of force and easily chomped through the bits of rotted flesh.Alice chewed and swallowed as quickly as she could, allowing the thin wispy mold hairs to slide down her throat, reminding her of the dirt she once ate on a playground as a child.Alice had to swallow quickly, before her stomach and mind caught onto the condition of what she was eating.She needed to keep the potato down and had learned before that nothing was worse than having to re-eat something her stomach had already rejected.

As the last bits of the spud's flesh slid past her tongue, a heavy hand knocked on the front door.She froze and waited for the unwelcomed visitor to go away.She stood up slowly and looked toward the bottom of the door.The light from under the door was blocked by a shadow.She stood quietly in place and the shadow moved on and the thin ray of light appeared back under her door.

Alice exhaled in relief and wiped her brow.

Another knock, much heavier and with more force than the first.The shadow was back and someone wanted in.Alice looked around the loft for a place to hide as whoever was on the other side of the door wanted in the loft as badly as she wanted out of it.